Need for a Cultural Policy

Culture is a national resource which has become valuable in a global knowledge based economy. The Centre for Arts and Culture state that the cultural sector includes the cultural arts and humanities ; institutions , galleries and performing arts centers that display works ; the libraries and archives that preserve our cultural heritage and organizations that encourage American participation in cultural activities. In order to harness this cultural capital, the US government has developed cultural policies through 200 programs in 30 federal agencies (CAC, 2001).

A cultural policy is a set of rules and regulations set up by the Federal Government to regulate the cultural sector and its impact on society. It is also endeavors to help the government understand the importance of contributing funds for commercial development (Adams  and Goldbard ,1978).

The current trends in global cultural policy now include two trends: ‘Cultural democracy’, which supposes that everyone participates in one or more cultures and ‘Democratization of Culture’ which believes that some people have ‘real’ culture and participate in cultural activities while others look at cultural activities as a hobby (Adams and Goldbard, 1987).

The policy of cultural democracy advocates the development of an autonomous and cooperative individuals and a state which encourages participation in all sub-cultures.  This kind of a policy helps artisans and cultural members by providing them support in dealing with local authorities finding adequate space and conceptualizing their ideas . This policy promotes participation, cooperation and self-confidence in a cultural community. (Adams  and Goldbard, 1978)

Need for  a Cultural Policy
The cultural sector influences education, housing and economic development in our community .It helps us to understand our national cultural identity (Adams and Goldbard, 1987).

Changes in technology and global economy have forced the government to consider the implications of cultural industries and the revenue and employment and export earnings . The cultural sector also has an impact on the sociological factors of a community which helps in understanding  the health of an individual or a community and is often known as a cultural capital (CAC ,2001).

A culture’s economic contribution is substantial . In the United States the cultural contribution has generated an income of 450 billion dollars in copyright revenues and contributes to 2.5 percent of the nations GDP. It is also the capital that holds communities together and helps them adapt to change (CAC, 2001).